Here in the United States, Windows Mobile had been counted out by a lot of people. Companies like Motorola had even stopped making hardware until the mobile Operating System improved. And now that the Redmond, Washington-based company has shown off Windows Phone 7 Series, Windows Mobile 6.5 has begun its inexorable transition to the shadow of yesteryear. Except, it seems, in Latin America, where the OS is actually rising
The warm people over at BNAmericas had a chance to talk with Microsoft’s Latin American Director of Mobile Communications, Doug Smith, and managed to pull some very interesting things from the man’s brain. Such as, when and if Windows Phone 7 would launch in Latin America. Steve Ballmer wasn’t kidding when he said the launch of Windows Phone 7 Series would be a global launch, because Smith confirmed that his region would be getting the updated mobile Operating System at the same time as everyone else: this holiday season.
When it comes to marketshare, it’s looking like Microsoft’s only competitor in the region is Research In Motion with their BlackBerry devices. No surprise there. Smith stressed the fact that simply forgetting about Windows Mobile 6.5 is not the way to go. The company must put a lot of effort in the Operating System, up until the launch of Windows Phone 7. Numbers speak the loudest though, and Microsoft should be proud of the 26% share in Brazil, and 24% in Mexico, which was reported in an IDC paper last month. It’s good to see that even with ample anticipation for what’s to come, the current hardware and software isn’t being forgotten by the consumers, which, arguably, are the most important part.
[via WMPower User]
